“Oh my god Becky, look at her grass fed butter. Its so big. It looks like one of those rectangular bookends. Who understands those dairy cows. They only eat grass because it taste like pure heaven. I mean butter, It’s just so big, I can’t believe it’s so square It’s just out there, I mean, it taste, it’s just so GOOD!”
“I like my butter and I can not lie,
My whole 30 peeps can’t deny.
That when a cow is fed with no chemical waste and are grass fed in the face
You get sprung! That meat ain’t tough.
Cause you know that beef wasn’t stuffed
with corn, wheat or somethin scary.
I’m hooked and I can’t stop eating dairy.
Oh big cows, I hella wanna eat ya,
drink whole milk pitchahs.
My friends tried to warn me but that butter you got makes me so HUNGRY!”

      Whole 30 means elimination of all dairy products. Butter, yogurt, cheese and of course milk. How do I live without these? That was my obsessive thought during my first Whole 30. I love butter on my steak, what can I adorn my baked sweet potatoes with, what do I season my cast iron pans with?

      Ghee. It’s Whole 30 approved. It’s full of good fat. It has a high smoke point which is ideal for sauteing, sauces, roasts and pan frying. It has a long counter life and an even longer refrigerator life. Not to mention, super bonus flawless victory points for being simple to make.

      Ghee is clarified butter. By following the process below you separate the milk solids that make butter not so ideal for Whole30. You can buy ghee at the store but why not make your own. One Kerrygold stick makes just under a cup of ghee. We want good foods in our bodies so opt for Kerrygold grassfed butter instead of some shady hormone laden store brand.

Step 1: Assemble the kitchen avengers!
Buy some Kerrygold unsalted butter (The silver package). Gather a strainer, Pyrex dish or other heat tolerant container with a pour spout, cheesecloth (can be bought at Bed Bath and Beyond), and a small or appropriate size pot to melt the butter in.

Step 2: Prep the pot.
Place the butter in a cold pot. I use 2 sticks in the photo because I prefer to make a lot at one time.

Step 3: Cook it down.
Turn the stove on to the lowest setting. See flame height in picture. The purpose of keeping the flame low in this process is to AVOID BURNING THE BUTTER. Although having your house smell like Popcornopolis is nice (is it just me who likes that smell?), don’t rush the process by turning the heat up. Be patient my ghee grasshopper.

Step 4: Watch the bubbles!
The butter should be at a slow simmering. You will hear the occasional bubbles pop when rising to the surface. Thats the ghee speaking. It’s normal. As the excess water evaporates and milk solids separate and drop to the bottom of the pan watch the bubbles. The bubbles will start large and grow smaller and more foamy. You’ll see the milk solids later when you strain, so don’t go poking around looking for them. This isn’t hide and ghee seek. Another tip, don’t disturb the ghee, let it be.

Step 5: Put the strainer together.
Now you’ll have a little bit of time. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to put your strainer together. Put the mesh strainer into the bowl and the cheesecloth into the strainer. Simple! For safety, especially those with granite countertops, place the receiving dish/bowl on top of a trivet or pot holder. Something to act as a barrier between the heat and counter. Let’s ghee safe here.

Step 6: Watch the colors change.
You’ll see at the edges where the foam meets the side of the pan browning will occur. Light browning being the keyword. This is a sensitive part. If you let it brown too much you’ll make brown butter; beurre noisette. Beurre noisette (Boo-air New-ah-set), French in origin, is used as a substitute in some pastry recipes calling for melted butter. It’s a very nutty and bold flavor. Good for pastries, but we can’t have any of that nonsense. Ghee me baby!

Step 7: Strain on!
Slowly pour the ghee, milk solids, foam and all through the cheesecloth into your vessel of choice. The ghee should be a golden color, not brown but golden; precious and valuable and versatile as gold is.

Step 8: Stop, refrigerate and listen! (Vanilla Ice, Am I giving away my age?)
Refrigerate, freeze or leave on the counter. I prefer the fridge for convenience.

      ALL DONE! Congratulations! Now you’re ready to start you ghee-lorious cooking adventures for Whole 30. And congratulations for making it to the end of this post full of ghee puns. I think we can all a’ghee’ this is the strangest post to date. (Last one, I swear.)

02.24.13 REST DAY